Manatees

Manatees are Florida’s official state marine mammal. They are listed as endangered at the international level by the IUCN World Conservation Union, at the federal level by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and at the state level by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Manatees are endangered largely due to human activity. Since record-keeping began in 1974, more than 41% of manatee deaths where cause of death was identified were human-related – and almost 34% were due to watercraft collisions (the largest known cause of manatee deaths). With increased awareness, education, regulations, and enforcement, manatee deaths caused by humans could be substantially reduced, and the eventual recovery of the species could be realized.